Cord-adjuster.



W. G. SPICER.

CORD ADJUSTER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED Nov. 1v, 1910.

1 ,000,045. Patented Aug. 8, 1911.

COLUMBIA PLANGORAPH C0., WASHINGTON D c @FICE WILLIAM C. SPICER, 0F PENACOOK, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

CORD-ADJUSTER.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM C. SrlonR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Penacook, county of Merrimack, State of New Hampshire, have invented an Improvement in Cord-Adjusters, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification like characters on the drawing representin like parts.

This invention relates to cord adjusters for controlling the length of cords of pendent electric lamps and it has for its object to provide a novel cord adjuster which can be inexpensively manufactured, and which can be easily manipulated to support th-e lamp at any desired height.

The features wherein my invention resides will iirst be described and then pointed out in the appended claim.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of my improved cord adjuster showing the manner in which it is used; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section on substantially the line .Qc-, Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line g/-f/, Fig. 1.

rIn the drawings I have shown at 3 an incandescent lamp and at 4 the pendent cord to which the lamp is connected, and by which it is supported, said cord extending from a rosette 5 of any suitable construction secured to the ceiling 6.

My improved cord adjuster is in the form of a spring reel on which a supporting cord or connection is wound, which connection can be tied to the pendent cord 4 at any particular point. The spring reel comprises a spring drum 7 having an open side 8 and loosely mounted on a spindle 9 that is sustained in the arms 10 and 11 of a yokeshaped member 12. Situated within the spring drum 9 is a spiral spring 13, one end of which is fastened to the spindle 9, as at 14, and the other end of which is fastened to the interior of the drum, as at 15. The spring drum is provided on its periphery with flanges 16 which form between them a space 17 in which the suspending cord 18 is wound. The spindle 9 is held stationary in the arms 10 and 11, this being accomplished by making one end 19 of the spindle square or non-circular and providing a similarly-shaped aperture 2O in the arm 10. The other end 21 of the spindle may be circular if desired and fits in an aperture in the arm 11.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 17, 1910.

Patented Aug. 8, 1911. Serial No. 592,757.

Fast 0n the spindle 9 is a ratchet wheel 22 and pivoted to the side of the spring drum 7 at 30 is a pawl 23 adapted to coperate with the ratchet wheel to lock the drum from turning in a directionto wind up the cord 18 thereon. The spring drum is provided with a projection or stop 24 which limits the outward swinging movement of the pawl 23. The yoke 20 has secured thereto a cord guide in the form of an eye or loop 25 through which the cord 18 passes and which is carried by arms 26 secured to the yoke. The yoke is swiveled to a plate 26 by means of a pivot pin or rivet 28 so that said yoke can turn in different directions, and this plate is arranged to be secured to the ceiling 6 in any suitable way,

.as by means of screws 27.

In using the device, the plate 26 is secured to the ceiling 6 adjacent the rosette 5, as shown in Fig. 1, and the cord 18 is drawn off through the eye 25 and attached to the pendent cord 5 at some suitable point, as at 29. The spring 13 is so arranged that it will be wound up or placed under tension as the cord 18 is drawn off from the reel, and duringl this operation the pawl 23 will merely click over the stationary ratchet 22. It is intended that said spring shall be adjusted so that the tension thereof will more than counterbalance the weight of the lamp 3, and as a result, if the spring were left free to operate, it would unwind thereby winding up the cord 18 on the reel or drum and elevating the lamp 3. The pawl 23, however, when in engagement with t-he ratchet 22 locks the spring reel from turning and the lamp 3 will thus be held at any desired position. If it is desired to lower the lamp, this can be done by simply drawing downwardly on it, thereby unwinding the cord 18 from the drum, and when the lamp is at approXimately the desired height, the spring reel will be allowed to wind up slowly until the pawl 23 comes into a position to fall by gravit-y into a osition in engagement with the ratchet 22, as shown in Fig. 1, in which position it will lock the reel against further rapidity so that the centrifugal force will maintain the pawl 23 against the stop 24 and out ot' engagement with the ratchet 22. IVhen the lamp is at the desired elevation, the reel may be brought to rest in the position shown inl Fig. l, in which position gravity will act on the pawl 23 and torce it into engagement with the ratchet 22.

My device can be placed on a ceiling at any desired point and because the yoke is swiveled to the plate the reel can be turned in any direction desired.

The arms l0 and l1 are preferably made of spring metal so that by spreading them out into the dotted line position Fig. 3 they can be disengaged from the ends of the spindle 9 and the reel can be removed.

I have stated that the drum 7 is provided with the open side 8. This open side is closed by a plate 29 which is loosely mounted on the spindle 9 and overlies the side of the reel. This plate 29 is not fastened t-othe reel in any special way, but is simply held in position by being confined between the arm l1 and the side of the reel. Vhen the reel is removed from the yoke, the plate 29 can be slipped ofiE the spindle, thus giving tree access to the spring 13.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is In a cord adjuster, the combination with a plate, of a yoke having` resilientl arms swiveled to said plate, a spindle sustained by said arms and held from rotation thereby, the resiliency of said arms permitting them to be spread so as to allow the spindle to be removed, a spring drum rotatably mounted y0n the spindle and having an open side, a. plate loosely sustained by said spindle and closing said open side, a ratchet wheel fast on said spindle,agravity actuated pawl pivoted on the reel and engaging the ratchet wheel, and a lamp-sustaining cord Wound on the reel.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence 0f two subscribing` witnesses.

WILLIAM C. SPICER.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH H. COLE, GEORGE A. BERRY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

